“Goodmorning…” She greeted me… and smiled at me. That simple smile from her made me smile for the rest of the day.

It’s been a while now, since I started liking her secretly. I mean, who wouldn’t? A lot of guys are heads over heels to her beauty, even girls are, and that includes me. Her smiles are like arrows that can hit your heart… bull’s eye, and I was a victim of her arrow.

The first time I saw her was when I transferred here in SM High. I was just taking a tour around the school grounds just to familiarize myself to the new environment. I was walking in the field that time when I saw her for the first time. She’s a member of the high-jump team of the track and field club. And I tell you, that was the first time I ever saw somebody jumped so gracefully, so beautifully. I thought she’s actually flying for a moment. And then I saw her face. Her angelic face with those beautiful eyes and hair that falls perfectly on her face. The sunrays on that afternoon just made her sweat looks like glitters on her face.

And I think I was lucky for her dorm room is just right next to mine. Yes, we live in a dorm. And we’re in the same classes too. She was sitting in front of me though, so it’s just her back that I always see in class. But damn, even her back is perfect, especially the fact that we’re sitting right next to the window. The light coming from there just makes her more beautiful, more goddess-like.

Not long after that, I decided to join the soccer club. This gave me an opportunity to see her after classes in the field. Just the sight of her doing her best in jumping, makes me want to do my best in soccer too.

One day, while changing after practice in the girls’ locker room, I saw her receiving a love letter from a secret admirer.

“Another one? Don’t they get tired of getting rejected?” Her teammate told as if her receiving a letter is just a common thing.

I heard her sigh.

“Are you going to meet the guy who gave you that?”

“Hm. I think so. All I just have to do is tell him I’m not interested.”

“Okay. Be careful Soojung.”

I know it’s wrong for me to follow her, but my instinct says that I have to follow her. I’m just worried you know. It took a couple of minutes before I heard her yelling at the guy.

“What are you doing?! Don’t touch me!”

“What? All you just have to do is go out with me! But you refuse to it? Do you know how hard it is to come up here and gather up all my courage just to tell you that I like you and want to go out with you?! I’m begging you… please go out with me…”

“I’m really sorry but I don’t want to give you false hopes that I like you too okay? I’m really sorry.”

“No! You will go out with me… right here right now.”

“Don’t touch me! You’re hurting me.”

I think it’s now time for me to look at what’s happening. There she is struggling to get off from the guy’s grip.

“Hey! She said she’s hurting, so let go of her.”

“What the? Who the heck are you? Mind your own business pal.” The guy said, ignoring me. You’ll regret ignoring me dude. I grabbed him from the back causing him to let go of Soojung.

“What’s wrong with you dude?”

“I just told you to let go of her but you ignored me.”

With that, he attempted to punch me in the face, which I was able to dodge. His swing is too strong though, causing him to be off-balance, giving me a chance to kick him on the face. KO! After seeing him getting knocked out, I didn’t waste a second and approached Soojung.

“Th-thanks.”

“You’re welcome. But I think we better get out of here fast.”

I unconsciously grabbed her hand and we started running towards our dorm.

We were panting heavily when we got in front of her room.

“How’d you know this is my room?”

“Eh? Oh… I thought you wouldn’t notice, but my room’s just right next to yours.” I said as I pointed to my room’s door.

“Oh. Thank you again.”

“You’re welcome again.”

Because of that event, she started to greet me everytime we see each other in the hallway, in the class, in the field, and other places.

I also started to feel something for her. I was her victim, just like that guy. But I want to protect her more. I don’t have any plans to confess either. But I started sneaking in some letters, energy drink, chocolates and flowers to her locker.

“Woah! Another energy drink again? And this time, with a towel and a letter that says ‘Keep up the good work’?” Her friend said. I was there again changing after our training. But I’m not alone this time for I was with my team.

“I wonder who’s the guy giving this…”

I continued doing it leaving sweet nothings every now and then. I don’t know if she really likes it though.

“Amber, can I borrow your Math notes? Remember the one lesson where I wasn’t able to attend the class because of a game?” She asked me one day.

“Oh, okay. Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

When she returned it the day after, I was browsing through it because we have a test the next day. Somewhere at the middle of my notebook, I saw my sketch of sitting in front of me in the class… it’s her “y” back sketch of mine. OMG! I hope she didn’t notice this.

The next day, everything seemed normal so I think she didn’t see the sketch. Everything went normally for who knows how long until one day, when I tried to sneak in something again to her locker…

“You know you can just give that to me personally instead of sneaking it in my locker.”

I dropped the Pocari Sweat I was holding upon hearing those words. I then looked from where the voice came from and saw her standing with crossed arms, glaring at me.

She then started to approach me slowly. “It took me a while before figuring out that it’s you. I wasn’t supposed to discover that it’s you until you made one big mistake. That is… lending your math notebook to me. A sketch of me? And the same penmanship that’s in the letters.”

“Y-You saw that?” She was right in front of me already when I asked her that.

*gulp*

I then started to take some steps backward while she kept on staring at me, taking steps forward towards me, until I my back touched the wall. Uh oh…

“Why are you running away?”

“B-Because…”

“You don’t have any idea…”

OMG, my heart’s beating like crazy… and I’m sweating coldly.

“… how funny you look like right now.”

She then started to put her face so close to me that I can feel her breath right next to me…and then to my ears.

“You’ve been busted Amber.” She whispered. Gah, that just gave me shivers on my spine. And I swear I already looked like an idiot.

“Listen carefully Amber.” She said as she took a step away from me.

*Gulp*

“… Whatever you’re plan is in doing this…”

*Gulp*

“I-I know… I’ll stop doing it. I promise.”

“Will you please let me finish first?”

“Uhm… okay…”

“Whatever it is you’re planning...” She paused and took a deep breath. “You’ve succeeded.”

“What?” Am I hearing things?

“I said you’ve succeeded. Congratulations. You made me fall for you, babo.”

“I-I… Y-You… What?”

“Aish! This is annoying.” She said as she grabbed me and… kissed me. I stood frozen… Am I dreaming? Because if I were, I swear I don’t ever want to wake up again.

“Hey! Are you still with me?” She said as she wave her hands in front of my face.

*Slap!*

“What the?! Why did you slap me?” I asked her.

“It’s because you seem to be somewhere else.”

“O-oh… really?”

“Argh! You’re annoying!” She then turned around and started to go out the locker room.

Throughout the training, the ball kept on hitting my face because I was so out of focus. Because of that, our coach punished me by making me run 20 laps around the field. It’s already dark when I finished. I went to the shower room in the locker room. As I opened my locker, a note fell.

“Babo, look behind you.”

I looked behind and saw Soojung holding a bottle of Pocari.

“Here.”

“Uhh… thanks.”

“You know you look like an idiot earlier.”

“Yeah. I know.” I said as I took a sip from the drink she gave.

“The idiot that I love so much.”

*Pfffffffff!*

“Hey! Are you okay?”

This is embarrassing. I just spit out what I was drinking.”

“Let me ask you one thing Amber because you’ve been acting like this since earlier.”

“W-What is it that you want to ask?”

“Do you really like me?”

…

…

“Y-Yeah?”

“’Y-Yeah?’ Are you asking me or what?”

“I mean, yes.”

“Then why are you acting this way?”

“It’s just that… I can’t believe it… Y-You’re a famous heart-breaker for rejecting a lot of guys, but you fell for me. It’s just hard to believe.”

“Well, let me tell this to you. Even I find it hard to believe in, but ever since you saved me that day, I already liked you. You just don’t know how I steal glances at you during soccer practice. You don’t know how I put a lot of efforts to study hard just so I can get high grades like you. You don’t know how much I liked that you sketched me, that I actually scanned that sketch of yours and posted it on my wall. You don’t have any idea how much I like the fact that I’m standing right here next to you now, saying these. Now I know how really hard it is to gather up all of your courage to come up in front of the person you like so much to tell her what you feel. So let me tell you this once again… I like… no… I love you Amber. I really do. So do you want to go out with me?”

“Uhm… I love you too Soojung. And yes, it’s my pleasure to go out in a date with you.”

“Good answer.”